Just send Saeed an PM or maybe he'll post here. He's Mr. "X", probably shot more animals with it thatn all of us combined! jorge

HI,

I thought what the hell to post this question, I know questions pertaining to X bullets are always out there.I just would like to know if those who have hunted Africa and have used a 416 and X bullets, what is the story. I really would like to hear about the 350 grain X, I will be getting a 416 Rigby from MR. Brockman very soon and I thought for a one load over-all bullet how would a 350X, now the SD is not up to .3?, at around 2700 fps work.I like the fact that it shoots flat, but worry about hearing reports that they,X bullets, hurt barrel life and accuracy in general?I just wonder how they plain work on game in Africa?,I would think if one has a cal that shoots flat out to 350 yards and would drop about anything would be a good choice,Kev

HI,

One more thing how about the 400 grain X, does anyone here have pics from recovered X bullets on there hunts in Africa?Thanks,Kev

HI,

Lets try this, has anyone shot Buff or big game with a Barns x bullet and what would you say?,I just think the 350 grain would be great ? or would the 400 grain be better, I think I would want one load to do it all instead of having to have a soft than a solid, just have one that will go out to 350 yards and will drop anything Dg up close? I like to keep it simple ,KISS,Kev

Kev, you do need to access Nickudu's Files. Go to Archives, then go to 2003 Articles, then go to 1984 published stuff that was written in 1983. Click on all the Lott and Seyfried articles. It will be self explanatory. Seyfried has written about reloading the 416 with 350 gr. Barnes bullets.

I have shot the 350 gr Barnes X in my 416. They shot 2.5 inch groups after a lot of work. They copper fouled like crazy, as usual.

The Barnes monolithic softs are good idea, but I was never happy with them for accuracy. Maybe your barrel will be different.

I shot sveral critters with GS Customs monolithics. I love that bullet, but it's a crap shoot to see if you'll ever get them. I'm still waiting on the 308 bullets I ordered in 2001 !!!

Don

Check out dead buffalo on page 112 of Geo. Hoffman's book Country Boy in Africa. Killed at 160 steps with 416 Hoffman Rem 700 and 350 Barnes X. One shot.
Bullet recoverd just under skin on off side. Broke the left front shoulder into and blew out heart. Buff took about 60 steps in a figure 8 pattern and gave it up for good with no death bellows. Geo. had me shoot him again upon walking up on him but he was already dead and we never found that bullet as it passed on through.
Randy Brooks wanted the bullet to show in his catalog. It looks fake as all four petals are peeled back just like for a catalog shoot and not one grain of weight was lost. I weighed the bullet four times thinking I had done something wrong. Needless to say...I have it, the empty round that Geo. went back and found and the buff (Good old Bob) is on the wall here in my office. I have only taken one buff (to date) but the Barnes X did just as advertised.

Just tried to send you photos of my bullet by E mail but it came back. I have yet to figure out how to post photos here.

Kev, for a while I worked really hard to get Barnes X to shoot in a .375 and in a 30-06. The 30-06 is a 3/8" gun with Sierras/ Best I could do was a little over an inch with Barnes. And 11 1/4 with the .375. Finally I gave up. For me the Barnes X were too much trouble. That plus the fouling, plus they say you annot switch one bullet to another. Gimme a woodleigh.

I've seen a fair few Barnes Xs used on Buffalo and from my experience they take a lot of beating...... I think they're great. The other bullet I'd recommend is Woodleigh PSP. (NOT SP, which are a good cat load, but not a good Buff load)

However you may have problems with them in the .416, as when I used them in my .416 Weatherby I found I either had to load a slightly compressed load or I would find it a tight fit if I had to eject a loaded round from the chamber...... they're quite a long bullet.

You might also look at the 370 gr North Fork as an all around load. I have not heard one negative report about North fork bullets. Shoot well in most rifles and great terminal ballistics. Good hunting. "D"

Kev: I've used my 416 Rem and 350X bullets for quite awhile. My story of shooting Buff, etc. in 2000 is on AC's main page. I dropped one buff on the spot and 1 went about 40 yds. if I remember correctly. I've also shot Eland at over 240 yds. I had one penetrate an eland back to front, stopping against the skin on the front.

My X bullets shoot into one ragged hole, and 400 Gr. solids will go into the same hole.

HI,

D HUNTER, I have look at NF and they are very good ,I have only heard great things about them. The problem I have with them is they do not even have a BC listed, and I hear they will not shoot that flat?,I do not know if this is true,but I would like something that shoots flat in a 416 and if needed works for big stuff.I also think a 400 grain NP would be great although to get it to shoot flat I would have to load it on the hot side?,I will have to do this soon, should have my 416 in shortly,Kev

Kev,

Good grief. Make up your mind. You can't have the knockdown effect of a 600 NE that shoots as flat as a 220 Swift.

There is no point in using a 416 for anything less than buff, and maybe lion. You see something, you shoot it. What does it really matter what the BC is, or whether the bullet is 372.625 grains or 400.452 grains?

Seems to me that the best approach is just to pick a good bullet and bullet weight (e.g., the Nosler Partition) and just stick to it. That way you know where it is going to shoot at all times and all ranges.

This approach may not be the marketing scheme of bullet manufacturers but for what you are after, make life simple.

I have not shot anything with the 350, but I shot two Buffalo last year with the 400 grain X bullet from a .416 Weatherby. I normally hunt with a custom .375 or .416 Rem Mag stoked with Trophy Bonded bullets (soft on top followed by solids), but last season my gun didn't make it so I hunted with my client's Weatherby. Being a Weatherby hater and not the biggest fan of Barnes Bullets at the time, this was very difficult for me to accept. However, I have never seen a buffalo die like those two. The first dropped in its tracks and didn't even kick after I stuck the 400 grain X through both shoulders (broadside presentation). The second buff was shot on the point of the near shoulder, halfway up, as it was quartering towards me. It ran 30 yards before it fell over and managed a short death bellow. Pretty impressive performance in my book. I am off in 30 days to hunt Elephant and Buffalo and will cling steadfastly to my beloved Trophy Bonded bullets, but I wouldn't feel undergunned with a 400 grain Barnes-X.

I have seen a lot of buffalo shot with the 400 gr. BarnesX and two with the 350 gr. BarnesX...They worked well in every case and the recovered bullets showed text book expansion, the 400 exihibits about equal penitration and a broader cross section, as one would expect, as on big tough animals the greater the expansion the less penitration, fact of life...

That said the absolute best soft point bullet I have seen used in the 416 is the new 400 gr. Nosler, it is one tough cookie, it blows the front lead out, leaving a long base to push the bullet forware, and if you recover one it will look much like a Barnes X in expansion but not as wide a cross section, and by this very nature it penitrates like nothing I have seen short of a solid, but it does more damage than a solid..I prefer this bullet in conjunction with a GS Custom FN solid.